Friday, July 18, 2008

Yu Garden (or Yu Yuan), Shanghai

Following my previous trip to The Bund, I headed south along the Huangpu river to further my exploration around Shanghai on foot.

This is me walking with Voon Ping following closely behind, he's a friend of a friend who was my ex Master coursemate and also best friend to a family friend of mine (have I confused you yet?); he came all the way from Zhan Jia Gang (2 hours from Shanghai) for a tour in Shanghai and we met up.

Such is the small world, it's creepy sometimes.

On the way, we walked through this old street of Shanghai, called Shanghai Old Street (like duh!)

Here you find shop houses on both sides of the road, and a tiny road which many food stalls that leads to more residential flats.

The houses here are even more runned down then the ones I saw at Tai Kang road.

At a glance of it, I couldn't quite get how they can actually still stand, on the second floor!!

What's worse, it's next to this mesh of wired and cabled lamp post.

Talk about safety. -.-

Below this lamp post was where I had my crayfish (I still want to call them mini lobsters, cause they're so cute).

Pretty (red) aren't they?

It's sinfully unhealthy though.

How they cook these was to put them through hot used and reused cooking oil over and over again (whenever it gets cold, they'll just deep fry them again, it' horrible).

But mind you, it's really delicious.

"Hey, you look good"

We decided to take away some and have a feast in Starbucks. :D

Playing with food

And amazingly, even my weak stomach (I had six food poisoning in the past two years in Malaysia from Roti canai and Kuey Tiao) can handle it with ease, so it should be clean enough.

Just don't think about it. (Nicolekiss' rule of thumb to Eating Around The World guide)

Anyway, as we ventured further. We finally arrived at the infamous Yu Garden (Yu4 Yuan2).

A classical garden located in Anren Jie, built in 1577 by Ming Dynasty government officer named Pan Yunduan for his parents. In 1760, rich merchants bought Yu Yuan Garden and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. Severely damaged during the Opium war, it was restored in 1956 and opened to public in 1961.

Can you spot the starbucks?

When I saw the place, I thought it was mighty impressive. It's like a small confined city of its own, with its own houses inside a little great wall. It'll take you through several buildings and arches before you can actually arrive at the small central garden itself.

Must be some pretty rich merchants.

Some random dragon statue in front of a restaurant

I managed to grab myself some pretty decent snacks here.

Soup in a bun (pao) with a straw.

Careful, it's hot. Don't sipped too fast, because I did. T_T

This photo makes me look like a goth.

And and and... I got found some smelly tofu!!!

Being adventurous, despite being full, I want to try everything they have there which I have never tried before in my life.

with sauce

In spite of its taste, looks and price (ok, maybe not really price). In this case, it's smell.

Phewit!

It didn't taste that bad, it fact, the pungent smell wasn't as bad as I had imagined it to be. Maybe it wasn't the really bad (or good) ones, and the taste of smelly tofu was said to be really good, melts in your mouth and heavenly flavour, a heavy constrast to its odour.

Well, at least that's on item off my to-try list.

Here, you find Shanghai's BEST xiao long pao (mini soup in pork dumpings).

Highly recommended everywhere, by everyone, on every guidebook, it's said to be worldly known. Name precedes its taste, I decided to investigate Nan Xiang ManTou Restaurant of its infamous Xiao Long Pao.

First you divide the dough

From the window, you can have a clear view of the chefs preparing for these soup dumplings. Each doing one task, at a speed so fast it puts me to shame.

Then you put the flesh paste in

Finally you wrap them up

Unfortunately, in order to have a taste of the xiao long pao in this restaurant, even just to take away, you have to endure a ridiculous long queue that could last for hours (reminds me JCo donuts in Malaysia) any time of the day, any day of the week.

I decided to skip it because first, it was getting late; second, shallow as it may be, it didn't look that good at all from what I have observed. I mean, the skin of the dumplings looked like they were too thick, too quickly done, which has put me off in queuing an hour for a 5 yuan serving.

Walking off, I decided to catch a cab to head back to XinTianDi (near where I stayed, a very happening place) to buy some movie tickets and dinner with VoonPing.

When I saw this.

It was wiggling on the road, just letting off two of its passengers, so adorable!! OMG. It looks totally like those tuk-tuks in Thailand. (I shall refer to them as Shanghai tuk-tuk from here) I hailed it down and haggled a price before hopping anxiously on with Voon Ping to experience the olden days of travelling in Shanghai.

It was really fun. I love the ride, instead of seeing everything facefront, you are looking at Shanghai, on the road through the back end. A total different sight to offer.

I managed to take a photo with my Shanghainese tuk tuk driver before heading into XinTianDi for dinner.

Hmm.... interesting. Makes me want to go there to. You know, the photos of you playing with your mini lobster remind me of little mermaid and Sebastian (see this image http://www.epguides.com/LittleMermaid/cast.jpg)

Hey gal looking lovely in the photos.Well just wanted to let you know since you love seafood I would want to recommend you to take a combination of Hep A and typhoid vaccine for your protection.Very concern for you ya since you are travelling all the time!God Bless!

nicole, I don't know which direction you want to head in blogging, but if you want to be a travel writer, your postings in this format and style is just so shallow. I hope u will take this criticism constructively. Sigh, sad reading your posts, but it's good for a laugh in the name of vanity.

abosolutely agreed with anonymous, on your rather uninspiring travelogue. It seems that your blogging is getting rather boring and stale. Looks can only get you that far, the rest is pure hardwork, talent, creativity and experience. I don't see you having any of these traits yet. Good luck in your endeavour, but seriously you need to have substance in whatever you do and i dont think blogging is gonna give you that. No pun intended, but sorry.

I kinda agree with David and was expecting more information on China culture instead of what you eat or your pictures...I can't see Yu garden's beauty through those pictures. You have alot fans who adore you, so I guess pretty face does sell and probably your fans will flame me for even criticising, but honestly I can't buy what you write.

lol. yeah, cleffairy, I cannot believe there r actually soldiers making a 'defense' for her. note the inverted comas. Personally, i hoped for more insights, more thoughts and more understanding of the places, events and offers of each destination, but what i recently realized of my repeated returns to this blog are actually for this blog's 'jokes' and 'the bloggers antics' and 'depth' in her posts. hehehe... sometimes it's really quite good to take a break from reading all this serious readings..say....times or newsweek or national geographic, and switch to some.....say, 'massage parlours flyers'....and have a good laugh at their language as well as their SORT OF info cramped into that A5 paper.

BTW, also, another constructive criticism, why don't you comment? It seems like you are not too courteous with your readers. Well, of course, if you choose to, u can ignore people who give u 'constructive ideas', but at least...do reply to your...comrades. I really pity them.

its true..all i read from the comments are virtually praises, diva worshipping and the blogger herself can't even be bothered to strike some sort of dual communication between her so called fans. nic, i would rather admire your indepth substance than your shallow purring face and superficial blogging.

Can someone please tell me what these abbreviations stand for, if at all there's any meaning:

BTWlol

Now coming back to Nic's blog here and the write-up in The Star on Saturday, I find one BIG difference: the depth and style of language is totally different. My guess is that Nic's write-up is heavily edited in The Star whereas the substance and the English language used is best described as shallow !! No offence meant but that's the bare fact.

Some bloggers' comments here are rather childish, if not outright rude, abusive and vulgar. Using the FUCK word to show off their little bird's brain, if any, without any respect to themselves and to others who visit this blog for some light reading.

Nic, if I were you, I rather send in my CV to Lonely Planet for a job than writing this travelogue of yours when I can obtain more precise information from Lonely Planet and other more professionally written travel guide books available in the market.

I'm not sure if you were trying to be sarcastic or wanted to show how prim and proper you are.

F.U.C.K- do you need to put a meaning to this word too? Can you honestly say that you do not use it at all?

Sorry ya, but if one wants another to respect them, they ought to earn it. Respect do not come easy, and that goes to everyone, even VVIPs and politicians are not excluded.

To answer Daryl's Teo musing, I'd say, I come back for sheer ignorance to what's going on in Malaysia that never failed to amuse me. This blog offer me a good snicker, and it's fun to see how shallow some commentary are. Most are reduced to 'goddess' worshiping, I must say.

While others in Malaysia have to worry about the raising cost of living as well as other numerous social and political issue, the diva herself places no concern over it. While she's influential enough to make a difference in the poor, the disabled and disadvantage, she's more prone to be showing off the means of luxury that has been bestowed upon her.

To jonathan chong, wikipedia does not necessarily offers truth and facts over certain matters, and it does not write a pov in the eye of a writer, nor in a way of experience. And flickr is a photo blogsphere, what difference does it make with blogger these days? It only contains more professional looking pictures instead of an amateurish ones.

Why she never bother to reply to her readers or her 'fans' over her is beyond my comprehension, as to me, it's common courtesy to reply to your readers as to make them feel that they are not doing one-sided conversation. She might be too busy doing something else or too busy enjoying life to even bother, but even a busy activist, Marina Mahathir and Tun Dr. M replied to their readers at an amazing frequency, considering how busy and influential they are. And they are busy trying to make a difference in other people's life, no less.

I didn't know that they have crawfish in Shanghai.. ^^ But it's great to see them there.

And no, I won't try the smelly tofu from anyway, but I'd use it as a weapon to keep annoying people away from me. But if still wanna stick with me, that must take a love lurrvv to do so, then I'll let them stick around.

I see that all sorts of expectations are made on Nicole. She's expected to address social ills and right political wrongs to some. To others she's expected to be a literary genius churning out masterpieces. And to a few she's the object of their lascivious baser intents! And she's also expected to be a walking talking Lonely Planet! Has anyone ever thought that she's just having fun doing what she does best and that there might be other platforms like sex blogs, social political blogs, travel sites etc. etc. to address all your other wants. O do grow up people.

What she does best is blogging from her own perspective; her own experience. Isn't that what a blog is? What do i expect of her? I expect her to keep blogging. Hate to see a blogger who has finally arrived at where she is give up on account of a few sour detractors. She is probably the first blogger who started out as one & is given a column in mainstream media. Usually it's the other way round. So it's no mean achievement! Get it? We'd have to look beyond our little cocoon to see the bigger pic. Keep up the great job Nic!

I see that u're a master of splitting semantics! Let me dissect & take your fallacious contentions apart. I'm almost speechless but i'll humor u:

1. I never said she was experienced the way u tried to twist it. I meant 'blogging from her experience' if u read right. And it was a figure of speech that she would stop blogging, what i alluded to was your bitter comments which might prove an impediment. And 'beyond a reasonable doubt' my dear is a legal term, one which u so loosely and carelessly flaunt. No murder has been committed as yet or the elements therein proved B.A.R.D.

2.RP and Nic are 2 very different creatures or bloggers of different ilks & makeups, with different fanbases and different slants for their blogs, so wherein is the comparison? Think u might be clouding the issue here intentionally.

3. I wish her well but it's not my place to intrude into her personal life. To do so would be a disrespect. Hope u'd extend the same courtesies & not sensationalise the issue.

4. I think she's very brave to put herself out there & allow us into her world as she sees it. I respect that. Much less those who hide behind anonymity or would not put a 'face' to their 2 minutes claim to fame.

Clef, can't believe you visited here and even wasted your time to argue with ba por and ham kar leng here! Get outta here, woman, this place is not for a gal like you. Tis plc is 4 ppl who praises da b.i.t.c.h and wait their turn to lick er pussy!Luv ur post on ur friend miscarray.hope she do well now.

clef, this world's strange. there is juz somehow some people who would try to defend something as if it was perfect. v were juz giving some pointers, but they thought we were intruding. and of all these, nicolekizz is still hiding inside, daren't give us her thoughts. i always thought that when someone cannot engage in a good and deep conversation, he/she is plain shallow. so, i DOUBT if any serious/more intresting writing is from her.

nicole, i still visit yr site, but for MY, not ONE reason, but MY reason. MY reason for this site is for some laugh at vanity and to learn what is shallow and what is not, what is plain bland which i should not do or practise in this society and world. MY reason to learn how not to be so ignorant at things when I backpack and I should backpack with a clear conscience and a responsible attitude. MY reason to learn how not to apply what u wear in relation to what i design/practise everyday(which does not bland with the 'environ'and not in sync with the world around us). My reason to compare how far v (me and u) differ in terms of backpacking and defining the term of a traveller.(i hv been to far far more secluded and exotic places than u, many times without outside funds)

Some of these jokers here are hardly coherent or intelligble. Shows a serious lack of breeding and culture. It's always easy to take another person's work apart & be a critic. Bloody bunch of leeches emoing here! Some of these idiots can't even put a proper sentence together & they say it's constructive. Makes me wanna puke! Get a life u idiots! At least she's out doing her thing, while u throwbacks pick up the scraps! Hahahaha!

I agree with u dude! This monkeys claim they're being constructive but they're just trying leech off Nic's traffic. Trying to create mayhem here bunch of losers. they don't know what's constructive if their life depended on it!!

yalor everytime come in tis few buggers go on & on negative only as if they perfect to criticise ppl. If they don't like still come back for what? Better they fly kite maybe lightning will strike! Don't understand this ppl that fairy oso taruh all the way only from her early post dunno why? maybe jeles!

No offense, but I think that a good travelogue show have detail information about the destination and also should have pictures that readers expected to see such as those famous spots that people always talk about.

From what I can see here, it looks more like your modeling picture blog where it only show about you, you and you.

I don't see much research has been done and I also don't see much detail introduction of the destination you visited.

As a writer for The Star, you should know this well. Since this is a travelogue, it should looks more like a travelogue, not a modeling picture page as an article.

------------------------------------

To Daryl Teo,

I'm not sure what is the main reason you defend her even though she didn't request you to do so, she is not even defending herself and she did not reply to her commenters which she should.

And also, blog is not actually a diary. If you read the wikipedia, you will know what is blog/web log means.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Since this is a travelogue, it can not be categorize as a personal blog. It is an informational blog.-------------------------------------

To Dark Knight,

As a professional blogger, the article must be constructive. Since Nicole is considered as a professional blogger by most of the people, her post have to be constructive, not just simply writing a few short paragraph and fill it up with her "modeling" picture. Correct information and detail research have to be included in the article.

About stealing traffics, what for getting traffics from a place where those readers do not even know how to appreciate better articles? For me, I wouldn't want those "monkeys" who just know how to insult without looking at the facts to come to my place.

By the way, you are also evolve from a monkey, don't you remember? Study science, dude!

A blog or travelogue if u would have it is still essentially a journal of one's own travels, Wikipedia as a source reference is not irrefutable as it is not validated by any known body.

And there are no hard and fast rules on how a blog is to be written. It depends on how the blogger's style & how she wants to present her views or the audience he/ she might be targetting. And Nicole has done very well to attract a huge following whatever your puny misgivings might have been. Do not compel your own convictions or standards on another person's blog. U would not enjoy it likewise.

As for daryl's comments i think he is just rebutting cleffairy's comments directed at him, so i think his statements are well qualified and his opinions sound.

As for Nic keeping silent, i don't see any reason why she has to answer every attack levelled at her by commenters. Her job is to blog first and foremost. Not pander to every whim and fancy of nitwits.

As for Nic being a professional blogger her fiduciary relationship is only with her advertisers. How she writes her blog is her own creative privilege.

As for evolving from monkeys, some throwbacks like yourself never got past the Beijing man, neanderthal man and Perak man. So don't start insulting the homo sapien readership here.

hey nicolfanwhateveryouare....to evoke such strong language from 2 words, you must have a vested interest in her blog if u are not her. Just my personal view, i have been in there and her half baked views are rubbish. And stop spamming nicole's blog with her links u dumbass. your likes belong in clef's extreme blog not here you EFFERvescent brainless twit.

Sorry, but I am not garfield and I don't know him. So unless you want to get sued for defamation, I suggest you stop claiming that i am garfield. I'm not responsible for whatever he say over here. You'd notice if you click his link and mine. I know nothing about err...PC and open source. I definitely do not write techies stuff. Couldn't write a single thing about them to save my life.

One more thing, buster, I won't step low as to use a few identity at the same time, I'd use my own, unlike some certain people over here. Kindly leave your IC or passport number so that I can sue you for defamation if you wish to continue saying that garfield and I are the same person.

Oooh we're sooo scared. haha. can't take as good as u give then get the hell outta here buster! looks like someone is getting hot under her collar when she gets her own dose of shit. Jangan makan cili kalau tak tahan pedas as they say. btw half the criticisms u levelled at nic is defamatory in nature, go ask a lawyer u lame brain.

It just shows how shallow your understanding of things around u. When does good english has anything to do with quality of thoughts? Even a parrot can parody good english if taught. Like u a bird brain speaks some english too.

That's RP's case with strong political undertones. Stop comparing you fool. Yours would be thrown out of court for being frivolous and a waste of valuable court time. Talking to u just confirms the fact that u're an idiot. So stop punishing & kicking yourself. lol.

U fine idiot. This is a comment forum any statements made, were made in direct retaliation to your earlier comments, meaning its source. Therefore it is fair comment. Suggest that u consult a proper lawyer before u make a donkey of the law. Your understanding of issues is so shallow it's mind boggling! Don't participate in open debate if u're going jump at your own shadow, fool. hahahaha.